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10 Cloverfield Lane

I hated Cloverfield. Hated. It. The 2008 film followed a group of 20-somethings in New York the evening of an attack by a Godzilla-like monster. All of the characters were terrible, annoying, self-absorbed people. By the end of it, I was rooting for the monster. I really wanted them all to be eaten. Spoilers: They get eaten. So, when 10 Cloverfield Lane, a sort-of sequel, was announced, I wasn’t interested at all. But, my curiosity got the best of me, and I watched the first trailer. I was very intrigued by what I saw. Besides, it didn’t appear to have anything to do with its namesake. I watched the movie this weekend, and I am very happy that I didn’t dismiss it out of hand.

Cloverfield was a found footage monster movie, while 10 Cloverfield Lane is a traditionally shot, claustrophobic thriller. It stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead as Michelle–a woman who wakes up after a car accident to find herself in a bomb shelter. She’s shocked when she realizes that her leg is shackled to a pipe, and there’s an IV in her arm. Howard–played by John Goodman–informs her that he saved her after the accident and brought her to his bunker. He claims that there has been some sort of chemical attack and that it’s not safe to leave. Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), a man who helped Howard build the shelter, is the other occupant. All three actors do an amazing job, and the movie plays with the audience about whether Howard is telling the truth or is maybe just plain crazy. I would’ve preferred if they hadn’t connected this to Cloverfield at all, because I think the ending would’ve been a bigger shock. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes tight, tense movies.